Improvement in cotton-presses



' @Hitch tates agie-tent @frn WILLIAM O. BANKS, OF COMO DEPOT, MISSISSIPPI. Letters Patent No. 65,865, dated June 18, 1 867.

IMPROVEMENT IN correu-PRESSES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. BANKS, of Como Depot, in the county of Panola, and State of Mississippi, have invented certain newiand useful Improvements in Cotton-Presses, for baling cotton; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the 'construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a' part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a top plan of the press, with the head in its working position,'in black lines, andas swung out of the way, Whenfilling the press with cotton, in blue lines.

Figure 2 represents a vertical crosssection through the press.

- Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, vdenote like' parts of the press in both of the drawings. v i

c My invention relates more especially to the manner in whichI arrange the screw-head and its several appliances, so that the screw, platen, and head may be swung to one side, to facilitate the filling ofthe pressing- 'box with cotton, and then brought back over the said box, so that the platen .or follower may be run down upon the cotton, to press it compactly into a bale. i

To-enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings. I

A represents a stout,'substantal frame, of rectangular form, having/ a bed or base,-B, suitably secured thereto, and strong enough to resist the pressure put upon the cotton that lies upon it. On, above, or around this base er bed there are side doors, c, and end pieces, to form a chamber, in which the cotton is pressed into compact form, and in which it may be baled in any ot' the common, well-known ways, the doors being swung open, and the end pieces released for tl e easy removal of the pressed bale. Above this pressing or balingchamber, and forming a continuation of it, is the filling-in chamber D, the sides and ends of which may be permanently attached to each other, or to the frame A, or both. This chamber D is designed for reeeivingthe loose cotton that is afterwards to be pressed into the bale. To the top cross-pieces of the frame A is pivoted (as ata) one end of the cross-header beam, E, the other end thereof being'supported in a metallic piece or frame, F, in a slot, b, in which said free 'end of the cross-'head or beam E may move and be guided as it swings on its pivot a. Through this cross-head or beam E, and through a nut or female screw therein, the screw shaft G passes and works, said screw-shaft having upon its lower end a platen, H, that nearly or quite touches the sides end ends of the chambers in which it moves. 'Ifo the top of the screwshaft G there is scoured a. beam, I, and to the beam I, 'and to each other, two sweep-levers, J J, by which the screw-shaft isturned. To swing the cross-head or beam E, and its appendages and appliances, out from'its working position in thechambers, so as to leave a clear and unencumbered space, to fill in the loose cotton, I arrange as follows: A wndlass, K, is attached to one side of' the press, which may be turned by a crank, To this windlassis fastened one end of a rope or chain, c, the other end thereof being first passed over a pulley, cl, i'n the outer end of the frame F, and then fastened, at c, to the cross-head or beam E. To the` opposite side of the crosshead or beam E there is fastened another rope or ehain,f, whieh, after passing over a pulley, g, passes down, and is fastened by its other end to the windlass at z; so that whenthe cross-head, screw, platen, and other connected parts are swung out, by the winding 'up of thc rope or chain c on the windlass c, the other rope or chain f is unwound; and when the chambers are filled with cotton, by reversing the motion of the wind'lass the several parts are returned over said chamber, and ready to commence the pressing of the cotton, the rope or ehainf, in this case, winding up on the windlass, and the other, c, unwinding. The frame F is so extended and curved that the cross-head E, when swung round out of theway, will continue to be supported in it, said head having a frictionrollc1 t', connected to it, which runs through the slot b, `and thus causes the `head to move easily back and forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v u In combination with a cotton-press, substantially such as described, the pivoting, at one end, of the beam that carries thc screw-plates andV sweeps, and the curved guide or frame'F, andwindlass and cords, or their equivalents, for moving said beam, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and represented.

WM. C. BANKS.

Witnesses:

J. O. Tnonns, J. J. ALLIIN. 

